Travelogue - 1 : Chennai - Rajamundry - Chennai (Part 2 or 3)

There was one another guy who looked exactly like the comedians from the Malayalam movies, said he was from Kerala, and was with the Tata motors for some 2 years and has settled in A.P.

When I saw him I thought only about coconuts! Don't really know why he reminded me of coconuts.

He said a name that I don't remember now. He should be around 27 or 28.

Started asking about me and my purpose of visit and further travel plans. Well! even if I do not need someone to talk to, I really was in a need of someone who could understand what I was saying and help me out with the 'Bus stoppings' to know my 'stop'.

While we were talking the driver soon joined the conversation as well. He could understand English to some extent and also could say a few sentences in Tamil.

Him joining the conversation would have not been a problem to me if he had continued to look at the road while talking / driving.

This driver, turned his head half to the back and looked at me whenever he wanted to say anything or when he wanted to listen anything that we address him.

It was not a very wide road at all.

It was too narrow and had space exactly for a bus and a cycle to travel at a time.

But at times there were buses and other big vehicles coming on the opposite side. Whenever this driver turns I would look at the road if anyone is coming on the opposite direction, getting myself ready to scream if there arises any emergency situation, to alert everyone. Luckily, there wasn't a need for me to scream.

But, there was a time when he continued to maintain the same speed (for that road it was really too rash) even when he saw an auto coming on the opposite direction. I bet he would have met his great grandfathers in heaven that day if he had not gone off the road and stopped, letting the bus to go first. The driver totally ignored the auto and maintained the same speed.

At this rate, him taking his eyes off the road often would not guarantee the safety of many lives. So, when a seat got cleared up at the next stop I took it immediately, behind the driver and spoke nothing to him any more.

The Keralite was imitating the driver when ever the driver hits a speedbreaker without bothering to reduce the speed and we were thrown to sky and fall back on our seats experiencing an adventure equivalent to sky diving.

This guy enjoyed the travel like he was travelling on it for the first time, he was so excited about the journey but I was terror-struck.

The bus went off the road on either side at times and he imitated the actions of the driver steering the wheel with all perfection and excitement.

Finally, the place I have to get down to get another bus, came. It was so relieving that the next trip was not on a another 'Road to hell' but a highway.

Before getting off the bus, the driver and the Tata motors guy where giving me all the instructions about where I need to find the bus. Thanking them whole for helping me reach that place alive at last, I got down.

Then I waited on the other side of the road for another bus. And within 5 minutes a bus came. I asked the driver if that bus will go to 'Sakshi Papers', behind which is my boarding point. When I heard the name Sakshi papers I thought, 'how am I going to find this old newspaper mart at that time of the night' anyway I will have to take the help of co-passengers, as in all cases.

The conductor said something that I would not understand. 'Why these people say too many things just to make sure I do not get the point, in places where they can use a simple 'Yes' or 'No''?

From whatever he intended to say I made my mind that that bus was not going towards my destination. The bus was staged there may be for getting more passengers for about 10 more minutes.

Meanwhile waiting there, I saw an old man who was fully drunk and there were two other old men and a lady standing beside him. The drunkard was talking, or rather shouting something very loudly to the other old guy and the other guy was getting irritated and angry. None cared to look at them. I had a sudden impulse to record this as a video. But didn't want to lose my phone so I resisted the thought. But the nuisance grew large. He started to push the other guy and I thought there will be a fist fight. But the lady pulled the other guy away and avoided the fight. The drunkard was looking for someone else then. Luckily I felt like I was wearing an 'Invisibility Cloak'. He did not come any closer to me but moved away from the bus stop.

I can't even understand the normal people speaking and they can't respond to me, in this situation any sort of conversation or argument with him would just be least thing I would like to happen.

Then I inquired one more person on the bus stand and he pointed me to the bus that I already inquired.

I just got into the bus without asking the conductor and checked with one more boy, who turned out to be B.Tech student in a nearby college and was able to understand and speak good English.